Corset



Dec. 1-5, 1942.

I J. A. AMYOT CORSET 2 Shet-Sheet l Fiied Nov. 30. 1940 INVENTOR LJAAMYGT Patented Dec. 15,

CORSET Louis Joseph Adjutor Amyot, Quebec, Quebec,

Canad Application November 30, 1940, Serial No. 368,053

1 Claim. (01. 2-43) This invention relates to improvements in foundation garments and has particular reference to step-in garments of the front lacer type. More particularly, the invention consists in the provision of a step-in garment which is exceptionally easy to put on and take ofi and of the garment, said member being also pro-.

vided with slits located at opposite sides of the front lacing and extending downwardly from the upper edge of said member, each slit terminating above the lower edge of said member and being closed by a slide fastener when the garment is in use. Such a garment, after being initially fitted to the wearer, by proper adjustment of the front laces, may be repeatedly taken off and put on with exceptional ease and without disturbing the previously adjusted lacing. This is due to the fact that the upper front portion of the garment, which is bounded by the inner sides of the slits, constitutes a drop panel which is free to drop down over the lower front portion of the garment when the sliders of the slide fasteners are pulled downwardly to open the slits. This dropping down ofthe upper front portion of the garment leaves a wide front opening bounded at the sides by theouter side edges of the slits and these edges may be pulled away from each other to facilitate-the putting on and taking off of the garment. When the garment is put on with the drop panel in its lowered position the closing of the slits by pulling upwardly on the sliders of the slide fasteners not only restores the drop panel to its abdomen covering position but also results in the flesh of the abdomen being displaced upwardly and subjected to a flattening effect. The uplifting and flattening effect on the abdomen is realized to the fullest extent when both sliders are pulled upwardly to close the two slits at substantially the same time.

Anotherimportant feature of the invention resides in the abdomen confining effect and other advantages of the previously mentioned elastic vest. This vest member is provided, at opposite from the upper edge thereof.

sides thereof, with fastening devices adapted to be secured to complementary fastening devices carried by flaps which arestitched to the body v encircling member adjacent the outer side edges of the slits. When the vest is secured in place between these flaps it underlies the front lacing and drop panel portion of the garment and is tensioned to exert an uplifting and flattening pressure on the abdomen. Another advantage of the vest. is that, in its applied position, it tends to hold the outer side edges of the slits substantially straight and thus makes it easier to close the slits by means of the slide fasteners provided for this purpose. The complementary fastening means provided for securing the side edges of the vest to the flaps are also arranged so that the vest may be raised or lowered with reference to the body encircling member to ensure a proper application of the abdomen supporting and confining pressure exerted by the vest.

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. '1 is a front view of my improved garment as it appears with the front lacing adjusted and the slits closed by the slide fasteners.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the manner in which the upper front or drop panel portion of the garment drops down upon the lower front portion of the garment when the slits are opened by the slide fasteners. This view also shows the elastic vest secured in place.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view showing the manner in which the vest holding flaps are stitched to the body encircling member adjacent the outer sides of the slits.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the manner in which one side of the vest is detached from the body encircling member to facilitate the putting on and taking off of the garment.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the vest adjusted to a lower position with reference to the body encircling member.

As illustrated in these drawings, my improved garment comprises a body encircling member 5 having its end edges secured together at the front of the garment by suitable lacing 6. Member 5 is also provided with slits I extending downwardly These slits are located at opposite sides of the lacing 6 and at some distance therefrom and terminate at points located above the lower edge of member 5. Each The upper front portion of the garment lying between the slits 1 constitutes a drop panel generally indicate at II). This panel is made up of two panel members Illa and lb whose outer side edges constitute the inner sides of the slits I and whose inner side edges are secured together by the lacing B. When the sliders 9 are pulled downwardly to open the slits I the panel 10, as

- a whole, drops down upon the lower front portion of the garment (Figures 2 and 3) and leaves a relatively wide upper opening H bounded by those edges of the garment which constitute the outer sides of the slits 7.

A flap I2 is stitched to the inside of the front portion of the garment adjacent the outer side of the left hand slit I and a similar flap I3 is similarly stitched-to the inner side of the garment adjacent the outer side of the right hand slit 7. These flaps are provided with rows or eyelets 14 adapted to be engaged by hooks 15 secured to the side portions of an elastic vest member l6 which is provided with a central stiifener H. The flaps l2 and i3 are provided with extra eyelets l9 to permit the vest it to be secured in place in either the raised position shown in Figure 2 or the lowered position shown in Figure 5. This adjustment of the vest enables it to be properly fitted to the abdomen regardless of whether the wearer has a high of low abdomen.

The use of the vest I6 is optional. When used it constitutes an abdomen confining and supporting member which exerts'an uplifting and flattening eiTect on the abdomen when the garment is properly secured in place about the wearer. If it is desired to wear the garment simply as a front laced garment without the vest, the latter is easily and quickly removed by detaching it from the flaps l2 and H3.

The garment herein described is initially put on and adjusted to the wearer in the following manner:

The sliders 9 are pulled downwardly to open the slits l and the lacing 6 is loosened. One side of the vest l6, either the right side or the left side is unhooked by disengaging the hook 15 with the eyes I 4 (see Fig. 4). The wearer then steps into the garment and pulls it up over the hips. hooked in place and both sliders 9 are pulled upwardly preferably at the same time to close the slits l. The lacing 6 is then adjusted to draw the garment tightly about the waist of the wearer The unhooked side of the vest is then again slit is controlled by a slide fastener 8 the slider 9 of which is pulled upwardly to close the slit.

and, during this adjustment, the tension on the vest may be relaxed to some extent since an inward pull is exerted on the flaps l2 and I3 by the slit closing movement of the sliders 9. When the garment is to be taken of! all that is necessary is to unhook one side of the vest l6 and open the slits 1 by pulling downwardly on the sliders 9. Since this provides a relatively wide front opening H, the garment may be readily slipped downwardly over the hips and removed without disturbing the adjustment of the lacing 6. After being thus removed the garment may be put on again by simply pulling it upwardly over the hips, hacking the free side of the vest l6 and pulling upwardly on the slit closing sliders 9. When these operations have been performed a perfect fit is obtained without the necessity of tightening the lacing 6.

In addition to its abdomen uplifting and restraining effect the elastic vest l6, by reason of its attachment to the side flaps I2 and I3, tends to hold the outer side edges of the slits 1 substantially straight and enables the slits to be more easily closed by pulling upwardly on the sliders 9.

The body encircling member 5 is provided with elastic sections 20 which are stretched and tensioned to ensure a snug fit when the garment is secured in place about the wearer by the lacing 6 and the slide fasteners 8.

Having thus described what I now consider to be the preferred embodiment of this invention, what I claim is:

A foundation garment comprising a body encircling member having end edges laced together at the front of the garment, flaps stitched to the inside of the front portion of the garment at opposite sides of and at a substantial distance from the front lacing, said body encircling member being provided at opposite sides of the front lacing and inwardly of the points of attachment of said flaps with slits extending downwardly from the upper edge thereof, each slit terminating above the lower edge of the garment and being. provided with a slide fastener for drawing the edges thereof together and a vest member extending between and detachably connected to said flaps, said vest member being adapted to exert supporting and restraining pressure on the abdomen and-also serving in conjunction with said flaps to hold the outer sides of the slits substantially straight so as to facilitate closing of the slits by the slide fasteners.

LOUIS JOSEPH ADJUTOR AMYOT. 

